Wabi-Sabi
by kaededainetohru
Summary: Wabi-Sabi: "A way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay." What if the house had never collapsed and Kotoko and Naoki had gone their separate ways? But they are destined for each other and love always finds a way... Not based on any one specific version.
1. Prologue

Hello guys! This is my first Itazura na Kiss fic. I hope you guys like it! The premise is that Kotoko and her father never move in with the Irie Family but continue on with their lives. Don't worry, I am a full on Kotoko/Naoki shipper, so there will be Kotoko/Naoki time eventually! I have read the manga, seen the anime, watched all the subbed versions of the story I can find (Taiwan: **It Started With a Kiss 1 & 2**, Korea: **Playful Kiss**, Japan: **Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo**) so some of the story lines might be based off of one of those and it mightn't be in another. Please let me know if there are any typos, or incongruities so I can fix them!

So without further ado...

**Wabi-Sabi**

_Much has been written on this concept, but in a sentence, one might be able to understand it as "a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay."  
_

**Prologue**

Aihara Kotoko was in love. She had been for two years and after trying for those two years to raise herself to her love one's level, she realized that such an endeavor was futile. However, she wasn't about to give up either. Her father always told her to try her best and to never give up. Kotoko was not a smart girl. She wasn't particularly pretty or talented in anything, to be honest. Except for her unrivaled kindness and her unwavering ability to keep on keeping on with everything she did, she was quite plain.

There was no reason for her to believe that her love knew who she was, let alone return her feelings. Still, she would write him a love letter, because she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she didn't at least express herself. To her, honesty and bluntness were the best way to get anything done.

She was home alone while writing said letter, with a cup of tea next to her to fuel her passion filled letter, along with a dictionary and her computer (to look up anything that mightn't be in the dictionary). You see, her love was very intelligent and she didn't want to embarrass herself by writing a letter with the wrong characters or the wrong information. It was important that this letter be clean and precise; Kotoko wouldn't have it any other way.

Kotoko's father was at his restaurant, working, and it was fortunate this was so. He wouldn't like this kind of letter. Kotoko was her father's only child and her mother had died many years previously. They only had each other and if her father knew she was already in love, he might be sad or even cry at the thought of losing his baby girl.

Kotoko was nearly finished now. She put her painstakingly handwritten letter into a cream envelope. Looking at the small folded piece of paper, it was absurd to think that all her hopes and dreams from the last two years accumulated in this one tiny gesture. Kotoko, still deep in thought, sealed the envelope with a heart shaped sticker and quickly kissed the front of the envelope with her love's name written in small, neat print. Tomorrow morning, Kotoko would get up early and she would wait in the courtyard of the school for the boy that would receive her letter.

Tomorrow would be the day she would finally tell of her love to Irie Naoki.

Satomi and Jinko were astonished. They were Kotoko's best friends but they had not even had an inkling of the poor girl's feelings for the cold, heartless boy from Class A. And now the whole school knew, and the whole school were talking of her audaciousness (that's actually an optimistic term, most were just calling her stupid). And while the school gossiped of Kotoko's confession and Irie's cold rebuff, Kotoko sat in the empty music room, red-faced and tear-stained.

"Kotoko! What were you thinking!?" Jinko was always the harshest critic among the three girls.

A small whimper escaped the girl curled up on the floor and heavy sobs followed.

SMACK! "Jinko! Kotoko's upset! You're not helping at all!" While no one would call Satomi incredibly nice, or incredibly observative, she had a kind of intuition when it came to people and their feelings. "Kotoko, sweetie, are you ok?"

At Satomi's kind voice, Kotoko looked up. For a moment, it seemed she would smile and nod and everything would go back to normal, but instead more tears spilled from her eyes and she continued to cry. Satomi saw that reassuring the girl and comforting her would not be effective and instead plopped herself down in front of her friend and grabbed her face. "Listen to me, Kotoko. That Irie is a jerk, to be sure, and he doesn't deserve your tears! And, Kotoko, we have to be realistic; he will never love you! Not if you told him every day for a year. He's in Class A and from a rich family and is good at everything. You are the total opposite of those things."

Kotoko looked at Satomi with red-rimmed eyes, without even noticing that one of her best friends just insulted her a little bit. "But Satomi, I've loved him for two whole years! He's so handsome and smart, and he might have been mean today but I know there's some part of him that is kind!"

Satomi and Jinko shared a look that said, _Two years? It's much more serious than we thought._

Jinko piped up again. "Kotoko, come on, be real! You are in Class F! Class A hates Class F, you know that! And you might have a sweet, cute face, but it is not beautiful and you have the body of an elementary school kid! I know you're great and all when you know you, like we do, but that jerk doesn't, so what have you to offer him in the first place? I heard that Irie Naoki doesn't even show interest in the smart, beautiful girls in Class A!"

Even though none of the girl had ever been in a similar situation before, it was apparent that the 'tough love' strategy was working. Kotoko wiped her eyes free of salty tears. She was still pouting and it was clear she was racking her brain for any reason why Irie Naoki might ever love her.

"But, he's just so… perfect." Kotoko sighed, smiling sadly up at her two friends.

Satomi jumped in before Jinko could say something that would ruin all their good work. "He's pretty damn close. But no perfect man would so rudely reject a love confession, would he, Kotoko?"

Kotoko looked overwhelmed with such simple logic and sat for a minute pondering what Satomi had said. Just as Jinko and Satomi thought she would start up with the sobbing again, the young, devastated girl jumped up to a standing position, nearly knocking over her friends.

"Right! Who wants such a cold man? He's rude and unfeeling and…. and… not worth my time!"

Jinko jumped up with her and shouted, "RIGHT!" Satomi, much more reserved just stood and smiled and hugged her friends. "Don't worry, Kotoko! We will find you a nice, loving and thoughtful boyfriend! One who's much better than that dreadful Irie Naoki!"

At that moment, almost as if he'd been listening in (he had), Kinnosuke Ikezawa, known as Kin-chan to all his friends burst through the doorway to the music room to shout,"Kotoko-chan! Don't tell me it's true! You didn't declare your love to-to-to that Irie Naoki? Because I love you, Kotoko! I will always love you! I would be a nice, loving, thoughtful boyfriend!" He had grasped Kotoko's hands at some point during his speech and while trying to pry her hands from his grasp, she missed his rather precise description of what Satomi had named for her as a boyfriend.

Jinko and Satomi did not. "Kin-chan, you eavesdropped! Kotoko knows you love her! You don't need to tell her every single day!" Jinko stopped to take a breath to continue shouting at the nonplussed Kin-chan, but Kotoko's small voice stopped her. "It's ok Jinko. Kin-chan… at least he has a chance. He loves someone who at least knows he exists. Its better he say than keep it inside for two years only to have his heart broken." At this Kotoko started crying again. But this time it was a silent, shame-filled cry, with tears of embarrassment. Jinko and Satomi, still shell-shocked from what she had proclaimed were a little late to rush to her in comfort. Kin-chan was quicker.

He pulled out a handkerchief and softly dabbed at Kotoko's tears. Quietly, with uncharacteristic gentleness but still with a fierceness that only he could accomplish, Kin-chan said, "I won't ever forgive that Irie Naoki for making you cry. Not ever!"

Kotoko, accepting the handkerchief, looked at him, and with a new sense of appreciation, said, "Arigato… Kin-chan."

A Few Years Later

Kotoko and Kin-chan remained very good friends. Through some intuition not normal to the young man, Kin-chan backed off from his endless declarations of love, although he never lost his enthusiasm in relation to Kotoko. After they had both graduated from school, a year from the ill-fated love letter, Kin-chan asked Kotoko to go on a date with him. Kotoko, still stung by Irie's rebuff, told him that she still needed time, but it was not a definite no forever.

Kin-chan took this as permission to continue pursuing and wooing her and once he had learned that she planned to work at her father's restaurant after graduating, since she had not made it into any colleges, he quickly managed to secure himself a position as an apprentice chef at the very same place. He thought it to be fate that he was already somewhat skilled in the art of cooking and now Kotoko's own father would teach him to be a professional.

Kin-chan had dreams of marrying Kotoko and hey together inheriting Aihara, the restaurant named for its creator. After three years of working side by side it seemed that dream was not only a possibility but a certainty.

On Kin-chan's 20th birthday, Kotoko surprised him by asking him on a date. Though Kotoko would exactly say she loved him as one should when contemplating marriage, she did know he was the sweetest, most caring man she knew and that she's be lucky to have him as a boyfriend, and eventually husband. She also knew how neat it would be if she did marry him. They would both be able to inherit the restaurant. He would use his already highly improved skills to run the kitchen and she would use what business sense she had to run the front of house and the books. And once she was ready to have children, it would be a simple matter to let Kin-chan run the entire restaurant, or even hire someone to fulfill that role. She would live happily ever after.

However, every now and then, she would look back to her high school years and sigh at that love she once had for a boy she barely knew. At her graduation, it had been revealed that Irie had been accepted to the University of Tokyo and that he'd be continuing his studies there. The rumor was that he planned to take over his father's company, Pan Dai, when he left University. It was that day that Kotoko had finally given up on the torch she held for the harsh young man. Watching him cruelly turn down requests for pictures and his second button from his uniform, she realized that it was time. She could continue loving a boy she had never truly known and would never even see in the future, or she could actually live her life.

Kotoko was as much a daydreamer as ever, and she would find herself looking back and wondering what would have happened if Irie had accepted her declaration of love such a long time ago. But more often, she looked ahead, wondering about her life with Kin-chan, if he would propose, what she would say and if she could ever be truly happy with him. She knew that many girls were much worse off than she, with uncaring, abusive or cruel husbands. Kin-chan truly loved her, and as the girls often told her, it was better to be the more loved in a relationship, especially for women.

Satomi and Jinko often reassured her that she would grow to love Kin-chan more and more, and they even ventured to say that she already did but she just didn't know it. Her father said a similar thing, saying that he could see that they were good friends, and that she would be lucky to have a man so devoted. She knew both her best friends and her father were right, and it wasn't that she didn't want to be with Kin-chan. They'd already shared a few quick kisses, nothing serious, and more surprising than anything to Kotoko. But it was during those kisses that Kotoko realized she burned for a passionate romance, and a man that she loved desperately. A man she could not live without.

In high school, that was what she believed love to be. She wanted to find someone that when she wasn't with them, she only ever thought about him. That when she saw him, she wasn't able to not smile. That when he kissed her, he heart felt like it would leap from her throat and her head would spin. Kotoko once wished for all these things. But now, nearly four years later, when that wish came back, she almost immediately silenced it.

_It's time to be realistic, Kotoko_, she told herself. It might take her years to find such a person, and who's to say that he would even love her back. Instead of wasting all that time, she could be happily settled with Kin-chan, and in the summer of her 20th year, she decided that is what she would do. Whenever it was that he decided to propose (and she guessed it would be soon, by how the poor boy was acting) she would accept. She wanted children and she wanted to be able to enjoy them.

Kin-chan was, in fact, preparing to propose. He had already made a plan, and had decided that he would ask her in three months' time, giving himself enough time to prepare the perfect date, the perfect meal and the perfect proposal. And if it weren't for a long overdue disaster, they would have continued on their path to each other, ecstatic (on Kin-chan's part) and decided (on Kotoko's).


	2. Chapter 1: Koi No Yokan

Wow! Two chapters in one day! This is definitely a new record for me! Well, anyway, here is a continuation of the story. I changed the title if you didn't notice... I found this title to be more fitting to the story. Enjoy all!

**Wabi-Sabi**

_Much has been written on this concept, but in a sentence, one might be able to understand it as "a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay."_

**Chapter 1: Koi No Yokan**

_The sense upon meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love. _

* * *

It was easy for people to say that Irie Naoki was a special person. Almost as easy as it was for him to be a special person. He had graduated school without incident, except or that tiny hiccup at the end of second year where a silly girl had tried to give him a love letter. It had been the talk of the school for nearly two days before the gossipmongers had found something better to obsess over. At the time, he was pleased that he was once again out of the spotlight (as much as one as remarkable as he could be) and that the girl had left well enough alone.

But now, as he sat at a desk in his father's company, he realized, with a fierce sense of regret and dissatisfaction, that he'd led a boring life. He had gotten top marks in every exam he'd taken since junior high school, without even breaking a sweat. He'd only ever been sick with a normal cold, or with the flu; nothing ever serious. His mother did everything in the house for him, from laundry to making his meals to ensuring his room was tidy. Except for the weekends that he helped at his father's business; he'd never truly worked a day in his life. He'd only ever been truly worried or stressed twice; once when his little brother collapsed in front of him, crying of stomach pains, and once when he'd first started working with his father nearly a year before and realized that his father's company was in dire straits.

The former was solved by an ambulance, a quick surgery and a prolonged stay in the hospital. Naoki had felt a rising ache in the pit of his stomach while he had been at the hospital. At first he wondered if he hadn't developed a sickness himself, but quickly found out that it only ever occurred when he was talking to one of Yuki's doctors or while helping Non-chan with his studies. He decided that he was just recovering from the worry he had felt when his brother had first fallen.

The latter was solved by some quick wit and a rush development. Irie's father hadn't been himself lately, and Naoki secretly wondered if it were something to do with his health. _No matter_, the young man had thought briskly, _I will get the company back on track for now and return to focus on University. It's not as if Father's going to have to work here forever_. A sense of dread had filled Naoki at this point, but once again he brushed it off as left over stress and worry for his father. Within three months of working nights and weekends, Pan Dai was once again a superior game development company and not only did they not have to let go of some of the employees (as they had originally planned) but they needed to hire more to increase development, as the demand for Pan Dai games was so high! People said, "Wow, that Naoki will be a great businessman someday" and "He'll do great things for Pan Dai when he properly takes over" but Naoki didn't consider these compliments. He's heard it said so many times, he was almost sick of it.

He also didn't consider his intelligence to be something he should be complimented on. Perhaps in high school, he would have, but he'd come to realize that he was born with this skill, and had not worked for it. His mother had a similar view on things, so she would never tell him he was doing well in school or smart. He would tell him that he had been particularly patient with either her or his brother that day, or that he had been very kind to the grocer, because she knew these were attributes he struggled with.

Naoki sighed in disgust and none too gently dropped his pen onto the desk. What kind of life was he living if the most difficult thing he ever had to face was not being polite enough or snapping at the slow woman at the fishmongers? He was bored stiff and nothing he did improved that. His father was too busy with work and his own health problems to concern himself with Naoki's mood swings, and Yuki was just starting with real school. Besides, what would a junior high school kid know about being unhappy in life? All kids that age are unhappy in life!

But Naoki's mother was smart like her sons, and mischievous and she always seemed to know when he sons were not their normal selves. She'd known instinctively when Yuki started sneaking chocolate from school and when Naoki began smoking in college. She'd known when Yuki had first crushed on a sweet girl in school and when a sweet girl had first crushed on Naoki. And now, she could tell Naoki was not happy with the way his life was going. It wasn't that he had said anything or done anything differently, just that she knew. He forced smiles more often, and was reluctant to discuss college or any work that he'd done at work.

Mrs. Irie wondered first whether he needed a female companion. She'd spent enough time at his college spying on him to know that he turned away every girl that got the courage to even approach him with nothing more than a curt "Go away." She'd even worked with some of the pretty, smart girls that she thought he would like to try and get him to notice them. When she was around, her son was very kind to the girls she'd brought to his attention, but in the end, nothing ever came of her hard work and almost always the girl would give up and move on to an easier target.

Once his mother had exhausted all her resources in the romance department, she'd moved on to figuring out what else could be wrong. But before she could get very far, her easy routine was disrupted by just one night of watching the news.

* * *

Kotoko and her father stared wordlessly at the wreck of their home. It wasn't brand-new, only four years old. They were still like that when the fire trucks arrived and the news team. Later, they would learn that there had been a very small earthquake in their district and that it was likely that there were some shortcuts taken when the house was being built. But at the time, they could only cry, hug each other, and thank whomever it was that was listening that the both of them had been at the restaurant. They were interviewed by the local news team in front of the wreckage, and when asked what they were going to do, Kotoko's father just began crying once again.

He had just paid off the loans he'd taken out for the house and had no collateral he could use to get another for another house. They might be able to live above the restaurant, but a couple years before Kotoko and Naoki had decided to rent that single room out to Kin-chan, as all his family was in Osaka and it made much more sense than finding a stranger. Kin-chan himself barely survived in such a small living space, the three of them wouldn't even fit.

For the night they found a relatively cheap hotel to stay in, close to the restaurant. Kotoko hadn't said anything to her father but she had decided she would need to find a job as a waitress somewhere else if they were going to start renting again. The small restaurant didn't really require her to be there all the time and once they'd built up a bit of savings, she could go back to Aihara.

Kin-chan, at first thought that this was his chance. He'd built up a fair amount of savings, for the day he and Kotoko would finally marry! He wanted to propose to her there and then and then the three of them could buy a house and live happily ever after. Only Satomi and Jinko, who saw how bad of a plan that would be, were able to convince him that now was not the time. Not only would they not have the chance to actually plan a wedding, Kin-chan's savings would end up being barely enough for the wedding itself, and a very poor one at that. It would be better, they reasoned, if he would help in other ways. Searching for places with cheap rent, continuing to help dig what small bits of personal items they could retrieve out of the rubble, and taking extra work on at Aihara to give the girl and her father a chance to recover emotionally and physically from such an ordeal.

He was not to know that most of this would be taken out of his hands.

* * *

Two mornings after the father and daughter arrived to find their home in pieces, the phone at Aihara rang at precisely 11 in the morning, when the doors first opened. Kin-chan, already there a few hours, doing prep for what would be a busy day surely, answered with a happy, "Moshi moshi, this is Aihara, Ikezawa Kinnosuke speaking!"

"Hello, I am looking for the owner of this restaurant, Aihara Shigeki?" The speaker had a jovial voice.

"Yes, this is his restaurant, sir, but he's not in yet. He'll arrive around one. Should I take a message?"

"Please just tell him that Iri-chan called. He has my number."

"Of course, sir! Have a good day!"

When Mr. Aihara came in, Kin-chan dutifully passed on the message but in the lunch rush, the phone call was forgotten until late in the night. Mr. Aihara called the first thing the very next morning and within minutes it was decided.

"Kotoko!" He was already packing up what small bits of clothing he could find. "Kotoko, wake up! We've got a place to stay!"

Not exactly a morning person, Kotoko grumbled, got out of bed and began helping. She didn't ask where, why, how, or any of those questions one should ask when suddenly moving house. She just packed up what she could and went to fall asleep in the car and wait for her father.

When she'd awoken, they were in front of a huge western house, with beautiful gates. It was still morning and the sun was shining perfectly down to make the whole place look absolutely divine. As Kotoko stepped out of the car, still in awe of their temporary home, she noticed that the name on the sign said "Irie". It struck a chord, somewhere in her memory, but she was both too tired and too amazed to be bothered.

Suddenly, a portly man arrived at the door, with the kindest, and largest, smile she'd ever seen. He warmly greeted her father and was introduced to her as Iri-chan, also known as Irie Shigeki, but would she please just call him Oji-sama? Kotoko began carrying in what few items they were able to salvage into the house, and at the direction of the extremely happy and sweet Mrs. Irie Noriko ("Oba-sama!"), she was quite quickly able to take both her and her father's things out of the restaurant van and into their new home. Both the men needed to be going to work and they swore to talk later when they had a chance. Kotoko was instructed to stay at home and unpack and then help Oba-sama with whatever she could.

Unpacking took as little time as unloading did and quite quickly Kotoko was downstairs with the wonderful Mrs. Irie, who made sure to let Kotoko know that she wanted the girl to feel at home. When Kotoko asked about the room she was to be staying in (it was all very… pink), Oba-sama confessed that she'd always wanted a girl but was only given two very boring sons! She explained that he youngest was still at school and he eldest was in University. She had wanted both of them to be there to welcome their house-guests but both hadn't even bothered to tell her no. They'd given her a look of disgust and said they'd be off.

"Oba-sama, don't worry! I will do my best to be helpful where I can and get out of the way of everyone when I can't! I don't want to be bothersome."

The two women quickly got to know each other and they prepared a quick lunch for themselves. Mrs. Irie wanted to know everything about the girl, from her time in school, her work at her father's restaurant and, most importantly, her love life.

Kotoko opened her mouth to tell her about Kin-chan, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was the fact that this woman seemed to already know everything, or perhaps the girl sensed this was a turning point in her life. Either way, a torrent immediately spilled from her, and everything she'd been contemplating and everything she'd been fearing for the last few months was suddenly revealed.

"Oh Oba-sama. There's this man, Kin-chan, and he's the sweetest, most caring person I've ever met and we've been kind of dating for a few months now but I know he's loved me for a very long time, since school, and I think he's going to propose but I… I don't love him like he loves me! But my friends think that that doesn't matter but I do! I do think it matters! I don't want to marry someone I don't actually love even if he loves me more than anyone else ever would! And… I think the only reason that I ever actually considered him was because I was rejected by my first love, Irie Naoki, in high school – "

At this, Oba-sama started and spilled the tea she had been holding all over her lap. Once everything was all cleaned up and Kotoko was assured that Mrs. Irie really was alright, the poor woman had calmed down considerably. But this did not mean she felt any better, or any less willing to discuss her romantic problems with the caring woman in front of her.

"I just don't know what to do, Oba-sama. Kin-chan has been so patient and he is so nice and if I turned him down now I would feel as if I were breaking his heart. Also, I could be happy with him, or at least content. He would treat me right, and he'd be able to take over Papa's shop. Where else am I going to find someone as loving and kind?"

Still reeling from Kotoko's earlier revelation, Noriko was careful with her words. "Well, I think it would be wise to not give him an answer just yet. It doesn't sound like you're decided. I would even suggest that you tell him you don't want to keep dating as you have for now. Don't tell him no forever, because you might change your mind, but perhaps moving in here is a good reason for you to … get some distance. You said he works for you father?"

"Yes. And has since high school. So have I, for that matter. We've seen each other nearly every day for the last three years."

Privately, the older woman thought that if after three years of working side by side, a girl should know if she truly loved the man or not. And if she was still on the fence, then she'd never get off it, but she didn't say this. Instead she said, "Well, why don't you tell this Kin-chan that with moving in here and needing to help around the house and find a job, you don't have time to be dating, but that once you move out that will change."

Kotoko, grateful for the woman's advice, grasped Noriko's hands. "Thank you, Oba-sama! I'm so glad we've met! I hope we'll be great friends!"

Noriko gushed and agreed with Kotoko but secretly shared a smile with herself. _If everything goes according to plan here, I could kill two birds with one stone! No, it's more like five birds!_

* * *

By the time, Irie Naoki was finished at school, dinner was long past. He was sure he would get a mouthful from his mother for staying so late at school. She knew just as well as he that he didn't need practice in tennis and he didn't need to study. He hoped to avoid these "house guests" (as his mother had termed them) as much as possible, seeing them as more of a nuisance than a pleasant surprise.

As he walked in the door he called a greeting to his family and saw his brother's, mother's and father's shoes laid out next to a pair of unfamiliar women's pumps. Putting his school bag down, he poked his head into the sitting room. No one was there. Calling, "Hello?" again, he received silence. Seeing a light on in the kitchen, he stuck his head in there. A girl, had her back to him, drying dishes. He was irritated to see that she had a pair of headphones on, and she was softly singing along to a popular Korean song.

"_Hora chowa chowa kono mama, gee gee gee gee gee, koishitai no, oh yeah! Aishitai no, oh yeah yeah yeah!" _

At the last "yeah!" of the song, she spun around and nearly fell when she saw someone was watching her. Yanking off the headphones, she quickly bowed and said, "Hello! I am Aihara Kotoko! My father and I are very sorry to inconvenience you and we beg your hospitality for a short time!"

The girl was actually a woman, he saw. The same age as him, or about, with no figure to speak of. She was quite embarrassed to be caught singing in his kitchen, he found, but he wasn't about to let her off the hook. He didn't want her here, and he wanted her to know that he didn't want her here.

"The sooner you move out the better."

At his cold tone, Kotoko stood up, surprised by the harshness in his voice. And promptly dropped the plate she had been drying. A startled cry escaped her and she looked about wildly, hoping for someone to shout, "Ha ha! We got you Kotoko!" She finally just stared at the man now looking at her as if she were crazy.

Yuki and Mrs. Irie came running, and saw Kotoko staring, pointing at Oni-chan in horror. Noriko struggled to keep a satisfied grin off her face but Yuki came down and smacked Kotoko on the head.

"Stupid! Waking up the whole house!" But Kotoko continued to stare and didn't even notice the blow she'd received.

"I…Ir…Ir..Irie N…Na…Naoki!"

* * *

Hope you liked it! Anyway, here is a link to the song that Kotoko is singing: Gee by Girls Generation

watch?v=W82Rp7jevtE


	3. Chapter 2: Jigou Jitoku

Hey there all you wonderful readers! I got some very encouraging reviews and I thank all of you that gave them! Nothing helps a person to get over writer's block more than someone telling you how great your story is! So all you readers that like to just read and not review, I don't mind, just know that the more reviews the quicker I'll update (probably) :D

Does anyone else have to completely reread all that they've written before they can properly start a new chapter? I took less than a week break from writing and all of a sudden I needed to go back to figure out what things I've said about whom, ect! Anyway, I apologize for the wait. I'm really enjoying writing this! I have quite a few ideas that I hope will soon make its way to you guys!

While rereading, I noticed that there were a couple typos in Chapter 1. I called Kotoko's father Naoki at one point and there were a couple repeated words. I apologize for that and I hope it wasn't too confusing!

I feel like in my enthusiasm to write this chapter and get the characters out there, I may have perhaps led them a little too out of character. Part of their charm is who they are and as much as I want to pull my hair out every time Kotoko doesn't stand up for herself and scream every time Irie-kun doesn't realize he's jealous (both of these refer to the anime/shows) that's part of who they are. I hope to avoid this OOCness that we encounter in this chapter and reel them back into their actual characters.

Enjoy...

**Wabi-Sabi**

_Much has been written on this concept, but in a sentence, one might be able to understand it as "a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay."_

**Chapter 2: Jigou Jitoku**

_You get what you deserve. The Japanese version of "You reap what you sow"_

Kin-chan was a happy, happy man. In high school, he'd always considered himself sub-par to Kotoko. He never actually believed that anything would happen with her. Sure, he incessantly spoke of their connection and compatibility, he irritated everyone in Class F (and probably the whole school) with the daily declarations of his love and intentions and he always drove away any man that showed a glimmer of interest in the girl. It wasn't that he wanted her all to himself, Kin-chan was far too kind to be that possessive. No, he truly believed there was no one that deserved Kotoko.

What man would appreciate her adorable need to see through everything, despite the fact she was rarely any good at it? What man would have time for inability to cook, or the bluntness in her character? What man could understand that though she wasn't very smart, or remarkably beautiful, or clever at anything at all really, Kotoko was the perfect girl? Not only did she empathize (and more often sympathize) with every person's problems more than anyone normal could, or should, she had a natural smile that when given genuinely was a rare, rare treasure. No one could properly cherish her inherent cuteness, a trait she didn't realize was valuable herself. And no man, no person, could understand, and most wouldn't even recognize that Kotoko was a person that loved truthfully and so deeply, she often lost herself in that.

How, when confronted with such a person, could Kin-chan not love her? And how could he allow just any old person to acclaim her, including himself? He was just a kitchen-hand, whose all life ambitions were based off what would help Kotoko the most. No, until recently, he had believed deep in his heart that the day would come when she would properly fall in love and thought Kin-chan wouldn't like the man (who ever in the history of the world has liked the man that takes the love of their life?), he would make him into a man deserving of Kotoko. And if that wasn't possible, he would do everything in his power to drive him off.

What a shock it was to Kin-chan when Kotoko had begun to show an interest in him! Ecstatic in his heart and soul, but desperately he tried to "play it cool". This was not the time to scare the girl off! He was so, so close now.

Kin-chan had heard that Kotoko and her father had found a temporary place to stay. It was late at night, now. Boss would soon be going home to the new place. When the boss had arrived late, he'd explained to Kin-chan what the situation was. The young man was slightly disappointed that it wasn't him that had come to his damsel's rescue but had learned enough practicality to know that this was good.

"It won't be a long stay," Mr. Aihara had explained. "Just until we can build up some funds and find a place." Secretly, Kin-chan thought that that wouldn't be necessary. Even though Jinko and Satomi had convinced him to steer clear of an immediate proposal, Kin-chan wasn't so easily dissuaded from his path. He'd already been to the bank to discuss a loan and he had an appointment on his next day off with a real estate agent. He saw now that proposing to Kotoko at this very moment would only increase her stress and workload. But if he had everything finished and ready to show her at the moment of proposal, it would be a very different story.

* * *

Looking around to give his mother a look that said, "Really?" Naoki realized that the self-satisfied look on her face was not a new one. It was a look that bore trouble. Rarely was Naoki not able to dodge the events that would follow such a smirk but he'd seen enough of what his father and little brother went through to know that he wanted no part in whatever schemes his dear mother was cooking up now.

Said little brother was still shouting at the woman, who didn't seem to notice or care. The same look of incredulity and, dare he say it, horror was on her face. A face that, now he got a proper look at it, was very vaguely familiar. Since it was quite obvious she knew him (demonstrated by all the shouting and dropping of plates) he put it in the back of his head and opened his mouth to say he was going upstairs.

But that was when he noticed the gushes of blood staining his kitchen floor, and the chunk of glass stuck in the gaping woman's foot. It wasn't that he cared, or that he even wanted to put on a good impression for his mother (often the nice things he did were for her sake, rather than any sense of actually wanting to help people), he just felt a sudden need to be a savior, to be a healer.

Carefully, Naoki very casually walked to the woman. Yuki stopped mid shout to gape at him, and he heard his mother give a tiny squeal. The woman, lowered her arm and continued to stare at him open-mouthed and wide-eyed. He waited until he was right next to her, which was when he emotionlessly said, "You're bleeding."

Barely registering his words, Kotoko looked down and screamed when she saw the blood flowing in spurts onto the beautiful white tiled floor. A hand clamped down over her mouth and angry eyes met hers, followed by an irritated voice, "Don't you think there's been enough screaming for one night?"

And then, almost as if she were in a dream, she was lifted into the air. Instinctively, her arms wrapped around the neck of the man carrying her. She heard through fuzziness that could have been happiness (or blood loss) that Irie Naoki was taking her to the hospital for stitches in his mother's car. There was no need for them to come, they'd be back in a couple hours. Just make sure to clean up the blood and prepare some food for the two of them for when they got back.

And just like that, Kotoko found herself sitting in the passenger side seat of Irie Naoki's car, with her foot propped up and bleeding all over the jacket he'd wrapped it in.

* * *

Kotoko had been too shocked to really say anything on the car ride to the hospital, or in the waiting room. She'd been admitted to the emergency room, with a bed that had a curtain rail that went all the way around the bed. By the time she'd gotten into the bed, she'd been exhausted from the early start, the day of moving and the emotional trauma she'd received after stumbling upon her first love. Almost immediately she fell asleep.

Irie Naoki, though also quite tired, did not. Instead he found himself quite awake and fascinated by the proceedings around him. Though he regularly checked on the girl that had so irritatingly disrupted his night (making sure she was breathing as he knew his mother would be quite disappointed if the poor thing died), he found himself wandering around the emergency room and it's adjoining wings, hoping to catch a glimpse of a doctor or nurse performing an interesting procedure (or really any procedure; he was not picky). Confused by the almost nauseous feeling he had, he decided to return to the armchair a nurse had set up beside the girl's bed.

He hadn't bothered making small talk in the car. He spent most of the journey convincing her to keep his damn jacket wrapped around her foot and to keep her foot propped up. She didn't say anything back. He'd wondered if she had a disability of some kind until they got to the hospital. "Hey, I need you to fill out this form, otherwise they won't admit you." She'd continued to stare at him. "Or… I can fill it out. But I need you to give me the answers. Do you understand?" She'd nodded silently.

"Ok, your name?"

The woman hesitated and then cleared her throat. "Aihara Kotoko." Ok. They were finally getting somewhere!

"Birthdate, regular physician, and medication you're on."

Once the forms had been filled out, Naoki had turned them in and sat back down with her. She was silent. He felt like he should put in a grumble or complaint at the disruption of his day, but she was so still and continued to look completely gob smacked.

Now sitting in her tiny little space, he'd wished he'd said something. She was snoring. Loudly, and she didn't look the least bit disturbed. Her foot was nowhere near where the nurse had placed it, but instead dangling off the side of the bed, dripping. Actually grumbling this time, he shoved it back onto the bed, heaving with the effort of lifting something that was just dead weight. Kotoko, on the other hand, just snorted, shifted a bit to the left and snored even louder.

"Damn. I wish I'd let her bleed to death on Mom's kitchen. I'd be in bed by now." The nurse chose that moment to come in with the stitching equipment and gave Naoki the strangest look. Naoki felt himself flush and wondered if the nurse would have security come give him a chat. He hoped not. That would take ages.

* * *

A couple hours later, way past both their bedtimes, they were on their way back to the Irie household. Kotoko had calmed down a bit, and had realized what a fool she had made of herself! Not lately, but for years she'd dreamed of the next time she'd speak to Irie Naoki. She would be dressed in a professional outfit, or an elegant evening gown, and she'd be wearing a girlish but sophisticated perfume. She'd see him before he saw her and she'd casually make her way over to him. She'd say hello and mention off-hand how silly her love letter had been in high school. He'd laugh and say he'd actually enjoyed the attention. They'd continue chatting and Kotoko would be tapped on the shoulder by her handsome and successful boyfriend. Kotoko would say how lovely it had been to see him and she'd carry on her way, laughing with her boyfriend how she'd once loved that man. Irie Naoki would watch her until he could watch her no more and he'd dwell on her for days, thinking how foolish it had been to reject her in high school seeing how wonderful she'd become.

Instead, Kotoko had been wearing fuzzy pajamas with Disney characters on them. She'd been speechless around him for at least an hour. She'd broken a plate and he'd been forced to not only carry her, but to stay with her in the boring hours of the hospital. And most embarrassingly, the nurse had asked if he were her boyfriend, and instead of laughing such a comment away, she'd stuttered nervously until Naoki had to say, "Of course not. She's an idiot." from the corner which had promptly turned her bright red. Nothing had gone had she'd imagined, or even as she'd feared. It had been so, so much worse.

The silence of the car journey home had finally gotten to her and she burst out, "I'm really sorry. I know you're probably really busy and this was not what you needed to be doing so late at night and I'm really… sorry." She finished lamely and quietly.

At first, Kotoko didn't think he'd heard her and then finally, "You're right. I'm going to blame you for my bad grades this semester, ok?"

Even though she shouldn't have been shocked (wasn't this the same man that had walked right by her when she had tried to give him a love letter?) she was. How could someone be so cavalier? She was trying to apologize, and besides, she didn't think it was really her fault! "Hey! You're supposed to say 'It was an accident, don't worry'!"

Naoki gave a bored look. "You were still stupid enough to drop a plate and get cut by it. Accident or not, it's your fault and now I'll miss out on many hours of sleep."

"Yeah… but, I didn't mean to. I…. I was just surprised, ok? I didn't expect _you_ of all people to be the elder son of my father's best friend…" As she spoke, Kotoko became less and less sure of her words.

"Yes, and about that. How exactly do you know me?" Naoki's voice was clear and free of any kind of deceit. It was quite obvious he really didn't know who she was, which panged Kotoko's heart. Did she really not leave any kind of impression on him? Was she that forgettable?

"Well, we went to high school together. We were in the same grade. I… I was just in Class F."

A tiny spark of understanding began to dawn in Naoki's mind. "You… were you that idiot girl who made me the talk of the school in Second Year?!" The man's voice began to take on an edge of anger and frustration. Except for the small bits of inflection of annoyance, this was the first time Kotoko had heard Naoki sound emotional at all and flinched away.

"Um, well, you see, I did try and give you a love letter once but you never accepted it and – "

A tiny explosion went off in Naoki's head. "I have never been so bothered in my life! How could you think that that was a good plan?! Were you as think skulled as you are now?! For days I was followed around and whispered about and strangers would come up to me and ask if I had talked to you since that stupid letter!" He continued to rave, blowing every minor inconvenience he had suffered after the incident into something which came across far worse. He conveniently forgot that just hours before he'd been reminiscing about how that was the one interesting moment he'd had in his entire life. Something about this girl just got under his skin. He couldn't pinpoint it, and he didn't want her to stick around for him to find out what exactly it was. He figured that if he were cruel and harsh to her, she'd leave as soon as possible and not take the circumstances neither of them were in control of as invitation to rekindle her love for him.

All of a sudden, Kotoko couldn't take it anymore. "Listen, you! You're just a mean man! And I don't know why you're so mean but I don't deserve it. I'm sorry I was foolish enough to ever think that I was in love with you and I'm sorry that I ruined your night. That's all the apologizing I'll be doing from now on. We don't have to be friends; we don't even have to speak to each other. Obviously, I make you angry just by... by existing! My father and I will be leaving as soon as possible and we thank you for your hospitality, and I thank you for taking me to the hospital tonight. I won't thank you, however, for… for you shouting at me for things I did almost four years ago!" At that, she crossed her arms and turned her body to the window. It seemed as if Irie Naoki would remain silent, but once the moment of disbelief had passed her began his retort.

"I never wanted you here!"

Quick as a flash, Kotoko turned around and cut him off before he could continue. "I didn't want to be here either. I liked my life just how it was, thank you very much! I was happy to work at my father's restaurant and I was happy to marry Kin-chan! And now you've messed everything up! You think your life is hard? Well, let me tell you, Irie Naoki. You have a perfectly wonderful mother who dotes on you, you have a job in an important company just waiting for you. And you are smart and talented enough to do whatever you want. But you don't see any of it like that. You're just a spoiled boy, who knows he's handsome and knows he's smart. You will never struggle for anything and because of it, you will never be happy. And you know what, Irie Naoki? Serves you right."

Kotoko was surprised to see that they'd arrived back at the Irie family home. _Perfect_, she thought, _I'll actually get the last word in an argument. _Without giving the man in the driver's seat a chance to get out of the car, or even respond to her declaration, she yanked the door open and stormed inside, making sure to be quiet once she got into the house. She noticed that Noriko had left the light on in the hallway for them. _That Irie Naoki doesn't deserve such a mother! Why did such a horrible person get a mother and I didn't? I wish he'd lived without a mom too!_ But she regretted the thought as soon as it entered her head.

"I'm sorry, Mom, Oba-sama. I didn't mean it. No one deserves to not grow up with a mother, not even that man." She whispered into the night. She didn't realize that the very person she'd been cursing had heard her little prayer. He was still reeling from their argument. That girl had not seemed so feisty in high school, but then again, his only encounter with her was so small he didn't even truly learn her name.

The worst part about what she'd said was that most of it were true. He was a mean man, and though he worked hard to not let it show, it apparently came out in droves around Kotoko. Despite her greatest efforts to be polite to him and to show remorse for the troubles she'd caused him, he still took his frustrations and exhaustion out on this girl he barely knew.

"'Serves you right', she'd said." Naoki began musing on her final words, gazing out at the starry night. "'Spoiled boy'. I am a spoiled boy. She's right."

He wasn't even sure of the emotions involved with a lot of what she'd expressed. He had _never_ struggled, and though he knew the concept behind it, he didn't know what it meant when a person tries and tries and tries and pours their sweat and tears and frustrations into one single outcome that just won't come.

He'd never poured anything of himself into anything. A part of him wondered if there was enough of himself to pour. He was 21 and he had no idea who he was as a person. Others called him "amazing" and "genius" and "prodigal" but none of those adjectives helped him to understand who he was. This was the main reason that Kotoko's harsh words bothered him so profoundly. In a couple sentences of insults, she'd been able to more accurately describe how he viewed himself than the 21 years of admirers trying to tell him how great he was.

Suddenly, he was struck by a strong feeling, one he'd truly never experienced before. He felt… as if he'd wronged someone. As if he'd hurt that girl that had so thoroughly chewed him out earlier. It was strange. He felt sorry, like he wanted to say sorry, but he was completely unable to imagine forming the words. He'd only ever apologized once and it only came about because his mother had dragged him by the ear until he had said the words. This feeling was one completely different to that he had experienced then.

Naoki decided to try laying down, to see if this feeling would go away with sleep. But he found he could not sleep. He rolled in bed, sat up and lay down. He got out his most boring Human Resource Management textbook and began reading chapters of it. Nothing worked. Every time he began to get comfortable, his mind would wander back to the tear streaked face of the angry woman now sleeping in the adjacent room, as she shouted at him in his own car.

Or worse, he'd hear he little voice asking her mother (where ever she might be) and his mother to forgive something she'd thought because even a monster like himself deserved to grow up with a mother. She was clearly still angry with him but even still she wasn't able to curse him to a motherless life. Every time he heard her saying the line in his head he wondered how anyone was able to be both forgiving and angry at the same time. How was Aihara Kotoko able to do that?

Finally, as the first streaks of glowing light began to show over the tops of the houses, Naoki realized he would not be getting any sleep that night. Instead, he took out a piece of paper and began drafting what could only be called an apology letter.

* * *

Kotoko, despite her tumultuous night, slept beautifully. Even though she was still quite angry with the man with whom she now shared a roof, she was incredibly pleased with how the argument had ended. She had no idea, and realized she probably never would, if he actually took any of it to heart. But to her it didn't matter. She was just happy she managed to get her feelings out without completely going over the edge. Stretching, she realized this morning might be a little awkward. However, the young woman was determined not to budge. She'd said it last night, and she planned to stick to it. She was done apologizing, especially for past events.

She'd found a note on her door, from her father, saying that because of the previous night's escapades, she could have today off from the restaurant. He told her to rest, unpack what she could and get to know the family. She'd snorted at that. "Get to know the family! I don't want to be here long enough to get to know any of them! Well, Oba-sama and Oji-sama are lovely, but Irie Naoki is just a know-it-all jerk and Yuki-kun is a little brat destined to be just like his older brother. Even though her night had been a late one, she'd still woken up in time for breakfast; she could smell the delicious food cooking downstairs.

A sudden, sharp knock came at the door. "Come in!" Kotoko stated, thinking it was Noriko. Instead, to her shock and his discomfort, Naoki stood there looking, to be perfectly honest, lost.

"Ahem. Aihara Kotoko. I have something to say." He didn't seem to notice that she was still in her pajamas, or that her hair was ratty and not brushed. He didn't seem to notice anything at all about her or the room. He seemed almost robotic, as if he'd rehearsed what he was about to say.

"My behavior to you last night was unacceptable. You are my guest and I was rude and cruel. It is no one's fault you were forced to leave your home. While I experience some discomfort at having you live here, you were uprooted with very little of your possessions to bring with you. Furthermore, I…" He falter for a moment and continued on in the same wooden tone, "I apologize for the names I called you. I should not have brought up past grievances at that moment, if ever. I also wish that your wound heals quickly as the shock of seeing me was what caused the injury in the first place. In conclusion, I am sorry for yesterday. Please forgive me, and allow us to start anew." And finally, he bowed to her.

Kotoko, still sitting on the bed, was sure her jaw was going to fall out of her head. No matter how emotionless or rehearsed it may have sounded, that little speech right there was an apology, from Irie Naoki. _An apology_.

"Erm… Well. Ok." Still unsettled, she stood up and crossed to him. Bowing slightly herself she said, "Um… Nice to meet you, finally. My name is Aihara Kotoko. My father and I will be imposing on your hospitality as short as possible and we thank you for you generosity."

Naoki, a little surprised she'd accepted so quickly, said, "Pleased to meet you. I am Irie Naoki. Welcome to our home. Please enjoy your time here." Stiffly they both bowed to each other again and he left the room. Their language was formal and no one's eyes were met. Something seemed like it was missing from the exchange.

But at the same time, both parties felt as if whole new doors had been opened. Doors they had never known existed. Neither were particularly eager to explore the new region, but both had an innate curiosity and a niggling feeling that this was meant to be all along.

And that's it folks! As I said before, the OOCness is a little too much and I will be reeling that in. I needed a way for them to properly reunite without Irie-kun just completely dismissing Kotoko and Kotoko deciding he was too much trouble for what he was worth. I sincerely hope every enjoyed themselves and please do not hesitate to review. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story, my writing, everything!


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